Boys hockey skates into a great start to the season

The Sartell boys’ hockey team had their home opening game Tuesday, December 3. The Sabres went head to head against the Fergus Falls Otters. The Sabres took the win 10-0 with goals by a wide variety of players. This game was exciting because a total of four player had their first varsity goal.

“

It was a good game, we went hard to the net to get greasy goals.”

— Senior, Riley Hauck

Piper LangRyan Zulkosky is a senior at Sartell High School for the 2019-2020 school year

First Period

To start off the period, at 1:29, Lacen Vandenberg got a penalty for tripping esulting in a two minute minor. Junior, Lacen Vandenberg scored the first goal in the first period at 10:11. Junior, Michael Webster and senior, Ryan Zulkosky assisted the first goal. Then at 10:37 sophomore, Hayden Walters scores the second goal making it 2-0 with assist from juniors, Michael Webster and Josh Kern. A fight broke our between Sabre player, Hayden Walters and Otters player, Ian Richards. Walters received a two minute penalty for roughing while Richards got a five minute for boarding. Then right off the penalty, at 16:31, Walters came out of the box to score making it 3-0. Webster and Zulkosky assisted again on this power play goal.

Piper LangMichael Webster is a junior at Sartell High School for the 2019-2020 school year

Second Period

Walters started off the second period with a minor penalty for roughing at 3:34. Then senior, Will Schiffler, received a minor for cross-checking. While the Sabres were down, a player freshman, Tory Lund, scored at 8:34 keeping the Sabres in a 4-0 lead. At 12:26 junior, Josh Kern scored with an assist from Schiffler continuing a lead of 5-0 for the Sabres. During that play, a penalty was given to Fergus player, Kaden Peterson for hooking. Only seconds later Zulkosky scored a power play goal at 12:48 with help from freshman, Parker Comstock and junior, Connor Hacker putting the score at 6-0. They finished the period with sophomore, Thommy Franke and Fergus player, Ethan Danner getting minor penalties for roughing.

Third Period

The third period consisted of no penalties but four goals. At 3:53 Webster scores on even strength with an assist from junior, Joe Folsom now putting the score at 7-0. Webster then score against at 10:25 with no assist to put the score at 8-0. Less then two minutes later Comstock scored at even strength with help from junior, Matthew Pallansch to make the score 9-0. The last and final goal of the game was made from senior, Ben Marthaler at even strength. Junior, Will Yu and Lacen VandenBerg assisted Marthaler with the goal. The final score of the game was 10-0.

Leading up to the State tournament senior Jackson Penk, was the projected fifth seed according to Trackwrestling.org. But unfortunately, things didn’t go as well as he would’ve hoped and lost in his first match to Connor Higgins, a junior from Rochester, MN.

Fibranz placed 2nd in the 220-pound weight class, falling in his last round to #1 seed, Ezaya Oropeza from Rosemount High School. After a grueling six minutes on the mat, Fibranz lost 7-2.

Fibranz was a returning State Champion, placing 1st in 2017, and 3rd place in 2018. Fibranz is ranked 18th nationally by Flow Wrestling and ended his high school career at 42-2. He has seven recorded losses in the past three years, and over 150 career wins. In the fall of 2019, Fibranz will be attending the University of Chicago and will be wrestling heavyweight under Coach Leo Kocher. He also plans on possibly majoring in pre-med and is looking forward to the Greco-Roman wrestling season later this year.

“

It was very enjoyable to get to coach Cole and Jackson at state. It was fun to watch them compete and complete their high school careers. ”

— Coach Cody Olson

Fibranz picks up his opponent, Nick Staska, from Owatonna High School.

Fibranz shared his experiences at state, and his feelings on the end of his impressive high school career:

Q: “So Cole, how are you feeling after everything that happened this weekend?”

A: “I feel great. I feel like I did everything I could have done at the tournament and I did my best, so I’m happy.”

Q: “What would you have changed about anything this weekend if you could go back?”

A: “I would probably switch up my style a little bit more in the finals. Probably line up some more shots.”

Q: “When you think back on your wrestling career for SHS, what are you proudest of?”

A: “I am really proud of being a captain of this amazing team. Our team has had the ability to bounce back from a lot, and I think we ended the season in a good place.”

Q: “Who do you think has had the biggest impact on getting you to where you are now?”

A: “My practice partners like Tyler Snowberger, Jack Engle, Beau Penk, Josh Halicke, and Noel Meyer, and my coach, Cody Olson was also a huge factor in getting me to where I am today. Also, Jake Clark. He’s a national wrestler, who owns Wrestle-Jitsu in Waite Park. I owe a lot of my success to him.”

Q: “Do you have a favorite memory from wrestling the last couple of years?”

A: “My best memory was accidentally advertising for McDonald’s, and then getting gift cards for McDonald’s after State.”

Q: “What are you going to miss about wrestling for SHS?”

A: ” I’m going to miss all the fun that we had, and the dodgeball. I’m also going to miss the team and wrestling in general. I’m not going to miss putting the wrestling room back together though. But I’m going to miss quite a few people. ”

Q: “What advice would you give to someone who wants to start wrestling?”

A: “You better be ready to give it your all. Wrestling is a tough sport that makes tougher people. Be ready for serious practices with some serious dodgeball.”

Q: “What’s next for you?”

A: “I will be attending the University of Chicago. I’m planning on wrestling, studying, all of the above. I’ll also be moving on to summer wrestling, which includes freestyle and Greco-roman. And then, later this year, I’ll be heading to Fargo for nationals in freestyle.”

Sabres Boys Basketball advances in playoffs

SHS boys basketball beat Little Falls on Sartell’s home court on Tuesday, ending the Flyers season but sending the Sabres and Sabre fans off to Moorhead.

Sartell began strong after the tip off at 7pm, leading 10-4 early on in the game. Sartell continued to create a gap against Little Falls, but struggled when the Flyers had a 14 point run, eventually leading the game by half time. At half time, the score was 25-24, Little Falls.

Although the Sabres struggled in the last part of the first half, the team kicked it into gear and fought their way back up to a lead during the second half. The Sabres continued to fight for the game that would determine the continuation or end of their season, and led the game 58-43 with three minutes left.

Ultimately, the Sabres’ hard work paid off. The boys won 70-46 after they successfully shut down Little Falls.

Photo by Jordan MareckPhoto of scoreboard on Sartell’s home court after the end of the Playoff game on Tuesday, March 5. Sartell won with 70, beating Little Falls who scored 46.

Although the boys are able to continue in the second round of playoffs, junior Matt Sieben was injured during the second half and sat out for the remainder of the game. However, the Sabre boys united and continued to play hard, as Sieben, one of Sartell’s star players, cheered on his team from the sidelines.

I am super proud of the team for all we have accomplished so far, and I am really excited to continue in the playoffs. Love spending everyday with the team.”

— Matt Weno

The Sabres (#2 seed) will play in the second round of playoffs for section 8AAA against #3 seed Alexandria in Moorhead, Minnesota on Friday, March 8. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday the 9th but has been moved forward due to possible snow in Moorhead.

Photo by Jordan MareckThe shoes in the picture display the names of every player on Sartell’s Boys Basketball Varsity team.

Senior Matt Weno expressed pride in his team: “I am super proud of the team for all we have accomplished so far, and I am really excited to continue in the playoffs. Love spending every day with the team.”

To keep up with the boys on their journey through the playoffs, follow @gosartellsabres on Twitter.

Photo by Jordan MareckOne of the two basketball hoops that helped Sartell advance to the next round of playoffs.

A big win gives the boys basketball team the CLC conference title

The Sartell boys basketball team and fans honored their seniors last Friday night, March 1st, in the best way possible.

The fans cheered as the seven seniors were announced one by one onto the court while being escorted by their parents. The night also included a sheet of paper honoring the boys and their favorite memories whilst playing on the team. The 2019 seniors include Luke Tillotson, Matthew Weno, Jake Schelonka, Alex Virnig, Dylan Notsch, Patrick Stalboerger, and Thomas Gieske.

Photo by Danyelle Yoerg A table was set up before entering the game to honor the seniors and all they have contributed to their team.

On top of all the craziness of senior night, the boys were playing for the CLC conference title. When the buzzer rang at the end of the second half, the boys celebrated as they took the conference title over the Brainerd Warriors. The final score was 84 to 61 with the top scorers being Luke Tillotson with 27 and Thomas Gieske with 15.

Photo by Danyelle YoergThe final score was shown as the buzzer rang to announce the end of a great played game.

Even though Tillotson and Gieske added the most points, the entire team come together to get the W! Jacob Bjelland contributed 8 points to the scoreboard and both Jake Schelonka and Alex Virnig had 7 points. Other contributions came from Matthew Weno, Matt Sieben, Cody Lantis, Dominic Hagy, and Thomas Ellis. The entire team came together to play a cohesive defense as well.

Photo by Danyelle YoergThe boys played great defense the entire game which helped lead them to their victory.

At the start of the game, the seniors come onto the court with lots of energy and were up 45 to 26 at half-time. The Sabres held the lead the entire game and outscored the Warriors in both halves. The team effort led the boys to the first Central Lakes Conference Title since 1996.

The Sabres team has earned the number two seed and will play the number seven seed, Little Falls, for their first playoff game. The game will take place tomorrow, March 5th, at home.

Sartell boys’ hockey flies to victory against Prairie Centre in the first round of playoffs

The Sartell boys’ hockey team defeated Prairie Center in their first round of playoffs on Tuesday, February 19th at Bernick’s Arena.

The Sabres started off strong and scored in the first 46 seconds the game. Senior and captain Austin Adelman scored for the Sabres. Four minutes after Adelman’s goal, junior forward Ryan Zulkowsky buried one for the Sabres, making it a 2-0 game. Shortly after Zulkowsky’s goal senior forward and captain Jack Hennemann scores the third goal for the Sabres and was assisted by sophomore Connor Hacker and junior Will Schiffler. On the power play, Prairie Center scored the last goal of the first period, making it a 3-1 game after one.

In the second period, the Sabres didn’t let up on the scoring. Six minutes into the second period junior forward Ryan Zulkowsky scores his second of the night. Zulkowsky was assisted by sophomore forward Michael Webster. For Prairie Centre, senior forward Hunter Fletcher scores making it a 4-2. 50 seconds after Prairie Centre scores junior forward Will Schiffler scores on a breakaway. Jack Hennemann and Maddux Hagy assisted his goal. In the last two minutes of the second period, senior forward Jack Hennemann scores his second of the night. After two periods the Sabres were leading 6-2.

Sartell swim winning streak ended after Alexandria defeat

The Sartell Sabres swim and dive team had a crushing defeat against the Alexandria Cardinals last Thursday in an away meet, ending their three-year long streak of being undefeated in dual meets.

Sartell swim and dive had been undefeated for over the past three years in dual meets. This year was to be no different except for when the Alexandria team threw a wrench into the works. The coach, Jason Anderson, scored the meet out multiple times on paper, always ending with the Sartell team ahead by less than ten points. Both teams knew the score would be close, and close it was with a final score at 98 to 87.

In the medley relay, Sartell A team got 2nd with a time of 1:43.33. The Alex A team took first with their final swimmer, Garrett Maras, when he out-touched Sartell’s swimmer, Beau Garman, at the end of the race by only six tenths of a second. The Sartell B and C relays finished the race in the third and fifth position.

The 1 meter diving was where the Sartell team was able to pull ahead. Sartell divers were able to win first, second and fourth, giving Sartell a good boost in points. Calen O’Connell was the diver that took first overall with a score of 186.90. Daven Nelson had a great day of diving getting the lettering score for the first time and officially becoming a varsity Diver.

The Sartell relay of Jesperson, Sathre, Zhang, and Larson took second place overall for the varsity 200 freestyle relay being out-touched at the end by Patrick Chromey of Alexandria by only 0.05 seconds. The race was as close as it could’ve gotten.

The last event of the meet was the 400 free relay. As the Sartell boys walked up to the blocks, they had one goal in mind: win. Unfortunately every swimmer on the relay swam about two seconds slower than what they could’ve swam. Some even swam five seconds slower.

Sartell swimmer, Alex Lyon, stated, “It was fun while it lasted.”

Even though Sartell lost the meet, they look forward to Conference championships this weekend.

The Sartell boys hockey team wins on Senior night

The Sartell Boys hockey team took on cross-town rivals Sauk Rapids on Saturday, January 26th at Bernicks Arena, and not only was this a big game because they were playing Sauk Rapids, but it was also senior night for the Sartell boys.

Brooke Walters This is the Sartell boys hockey program after senior night.

Senior night was celebrated on the ice before the game started. All 12 seniors were celebrated by calling them one by one onto the ice. Then they thanked their parents, took a picture, and skated away. Once all the seniors were on the ice they took a picture with all of the seniors and their parents.

The Sabres started off strong and scored in the first 48 seconds the game, senior and captain Austin Adelman scored for the Sabres. Three minutes after Adelman’s goal, Maddux Hagy scored, he was assisted by Will Schiffler and Hayden Walters. Less than a minute later Hagy scored his second goal of the game which was assisted by Hayden Walters and Connor Hacker. The last goal of the first period went to Senior and Captain Jack Hennemann, he scored for the Sabres on the penalty kill.

In the second period, the Sabres didn’t let up on the scoring. Five minutes into the game Junior forward, Ryan Zulkosky scored. He was assisted by Jack Hennemann. Nine minutes later, on the power play, Ryan Zulkosky got his second goal of the night. A single assist went to Connor Kalthoff. The last goal of the game goes to Austin Adelman with three minutes left in the second period.

The third period had no scoring but there were plenty of penalties. Four of the fifteen penalties happened in the third period.

The leading goal scorer Jack Hennemann continues to stun Sartell spectators. When interviewing senior captain Jack Hennemann, he was asked how it feels to be a role model to the underclassman; he responded with “I just hope to be a good role model to them. When I was an underclassman I looked up to Keenan Lund and Spencer Meier and try to lead as they did. I hope I represent the team well and made an impression on them so when they become seniors they can lead the team well.”

Ryan Hacker 2019 Sartell boys hockey team.

Another outstanding player of the game was freshman forward Hayden Walters. His number of goals and assists keep growing. Hayden was asked what’s it like playing first line varsity your freshman year, his response was, “It’s like any other hockey team I’m just held to higher standers.”

The Sabres next game is home on Thursday, February 7th against Alexandria at 7:15.

Thomas Gieske scores his 1,000 point

On Tuesday, February 5th2019 at Little Falls High School Sartell Senior, Thomas Gieske, scored the 1,000th point of his basketball career. Thomas is the 7thperson in Sartell High School athletic history to achieve this milestone.

Ryan James (Prep Hoops)Thomas Gieske Scoring a Basket while playing for the Minnesota Comets

When Thomas scored the last basket to reach 1,000 points, he responded with, “I felt relieved that the wait was over. I have worked long and hard on completing this goal of mine. I also felt thankful for my teammates, coaches, family, and friends for helping me along the way. I could not have done it without them.”

After Thomas graduates high school, he said, “I will be continuing my academic and basketball career at Mayville State University in North Dakota.”

Screen ShotThomas’s Future College playing basketball

The best advice Thomas gave for young athletes to become successful is, “Trust the process. If you want to be the best you have to work every day and stay locked in.”

Sartell Basketball falls to Fergus Falls

On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, the Sartell Sabres Boys Basketball team hosted the Fergus Falls Otters for a big CLC matchup. The Sabres entered the game, with a 9-1 record with a 5-1 record against CLC opponents. The Otters entered the game with a 7-5 record and a 4-2 record against CLC opponents.

The Otters got out to a small 4 point lead early behind a couple lay-ups, but the Sabres answered back and took a 1 point lead with 10 minutes left in the first half. The game remained close throughout the first half, with each team only being up 4 points at one portion of the game. The half ended with the Sabres ahead 34-30 fueled by a 12 point half from senior forward, Luke Tillotson.

The Sabres and Otters played another close half where neither team was able to build a double-digit lead. After 11 minutes of play time in the 2nd half, the Sabres and Otters each had 57 points. The Otters were able to jump out to a small 3 point lead with 4 minutes left to play. With 17 seconds left to play, Fergus Falls made a 2 point shot that would secure their 72-71 win over the Sabres. The Sabres were led in scoring by senior forward, Thomas Gieske, with 26 and senior forward, Luke Tillotson, had another 21 points. The Sabres currently have a 9-2 season record and will travel to Willmar on Friday, January 18th, 2019 for another big CLC matchup against the Willmar Cardinals.

Boys basketball is buzzin’

Above is a video to meet some of the Juniors and Seniors on the Sabre varsity basketball team.

Sartell boys’ varsity basketball team has been showing up to the court and securing wins on game days.

Boys basketball has been having an awesome year so far with a record of 9-2. Contributing to their record were two games last week where they shut out two central Minnesota rivals, both were big conference wins. The first game was last Tuesday, January 9th, the boys played the Cathedral Crusaders who have attended the state tournament the

Miah GesselThomas Gieske Dunks during warm-ups.

the past two years. The Sabres shut down the Crusaders 75-71. Last Thursday, January 11th the boys’ basketball team beat St. Cloud Tech 42-32.

Despite these strong wins, the boys’ basketball team, unfortunately, started out this week with a loss against Fergus Falls in a buzzer beater, 72-71. This contributes to their overall record along with only one other loss being Wilmar on the famous Tommy B night, played over winter break.

The senior Captain Thomas Gieske is obviously bummed on the loss but he says it is important to “trust the process.”

Following the tough loss against Fergus, the boys will travel to Willmar Friday, January 18th to hopefully put the ball in the hoop and secure another win for the Sabres, which will put them back on track.

“

I feel like the season is going very well, and we have very good team chemistry. I am looking forward to seeing us continue to grow together as a team, along with the playoffs and seeing how far we can make it this year.”

— Matt Sieben, Junior

Bethany Gieske Matt Sieben faces Sauk Rapids

The boys last regular season game will be on Tuesday, March 1st against the Brainerd Warriors. It is a big conference game and home game, taking place in Sartell’s main gym.

Sartell Sabre Gymnastics team beats Fergus Falls

The varsity Sartell gymnastics team hosted Fergus Falls Thursday night at home. This is the second home meet of the season. The girls beat Fergus with a final score of 143.225 to 128.925. The Sabres’ scores were very consistent throughout the meet, and it ended with a very outstanding floor which helped them get their highest score of the season.

all-around competition as she continued to lead the team with consistent, high-performance gymnastics routines. Abby’s scores from Thursdays meet: Vault- 9.475, Bars- 9.6, Beam- 9.35, Floor- 9.45 and her All-Around score 37.875. Abby has been practicing gymnastics since she was three.

Abby shared, “I started gymnastics at three years old. I was jumping on my neighbor’s trampoline and she talked to my mom and recommended she put me in gymnastics.”

Part of being on a team, like gymnastics, is working together and depending on each other. Abby agreed with this sentiment: “We all become each other’s best friends. I also love high intensity meets and when we’re competing at our best.”

She has high hopes for the rest of the season, “I’m hoping that we qualify for the True Team State meet and place at sections. After that, we’re hoping to medal at the state meet.”

Abby explained that the team practices special rituals before meets: “The captains always have a message in the locker room before meets. We also have certain warm-up songs that we’ve kept for many seasons that are special to us.”

10th grader Carly Yang competed for the first time as a varsity all-around athlete and finished second in the competition only a few points behind Weber. Carly’s scores from Thursday’s meet: Vault 3rd- 8.55, Bars 2nd 9.05, Beam 2nd- 9.05, Floor 4th- 9.05 and her All-Around score 35.7. This is her first year with the Sartell Sabre gymnastics team. The Sabres will compete again December 15th against Tech at the Tech Team Pride Invite.

On September 20th, 2014 Tommy Bearson went missing from Fargo, North Dakota, where he was attending college. His parents tried calling many times, to no avail. They called his friends asking if they had seen Tom and no one knew a thing. Greg and Debbie Bearson decided to take the two and a half hour drive up to Fargo to further investigate the issue.

Tom Bearson was fresh out of high school and was about a month into nursing school at North Dakota State University. He had just graduated in 2013 from Sartell and was getting acclimated to college like most freshman. On September 20th, Tom went missing with no leads and to this day nothing more has developed about a culprit. A search initiated the next morning as local law enforcement searched for clues about what happened and where Tom was.

Three days later the police would inform Greg and Debbie that they had found Tom although it was an outcome nobody wanted. Tom was found dead in an RV park a couple miles from campus. The death of Tom was tough for everyone, no one knew what happened.

The family started the Tom Bearson foundation which funds student scholarships, promotes safety for high school students, and funds local basketball improvements.

On Friday, December 21st Sartell hosted the 4th annual Tom Bearson night featuring Sartell girls’ basketball squaring off against Detroit Lakes and the boys’ basketball team facing the Willmar Cardinals. One of the biggest events of the year for Sartell basketball is this night because of the significance that it has to Sartell and to the community. The night features the Alexandria Aces as a halftime show and a 3 point shooting contest that will provide proceeds to the Tom Bearson Foundation.

Hunter BoelzSartell lost a tough one to the Detroit Lake Lakers on Tom Bearson night.

The girls’ varsity team kicked off Tommy B Night with a game against the Detroit Lakes Lakers without Senior and captain Emily Driste. Detroit Lakes got out to an early lead and left the Sabres behind with a strong performance from Center Brianna Price that included 8 points. The 1st half ended with the Lakers leading 25-15.

Halftime featured a dollar basketball shot with the proceeds benefitting the Tom Bearson foundation. Participants would be given Christmas cookies as an added treat. After the shooting ended, Sartell retook the court before the start of the second half looking to find a way to capitalize and turn the tide of the game.

The 2nd half was very similar to the 1st with Detroit Lakes dominating the court once again and controlling the ball for the majority of the half. Sartell was never able to get a good grasp on the Lakers and instead got left behind and trailed the entire game. The Lakers went on to win 44-32 backed by a 13 point performance from Center Brianna Price. Senior Aubri Akervik led the Sabres for scoring with 11 points.

Hunter BoelzSartell lost on a buzzer beater to the Willmar Cardinals on Tom Bearson night.

The boys’ varsity team was looking to extend its four game winning streak against the Willmar Cardinals. After six minutes of play, Willmar was leading 12-8 and would continue to hold a lead throughout most of the first half. The Sabres clawed back at the end of the half and managed to tie up the game going into the half.

Halftime was capped off with a performance in their final year by the Alexandria Aces. It was another stellar show that left fans roaring as the action unfolded. Here are some of the highlights of their show.

Hunter Boelz

Willmar once again got out to another early lead and halfway through the 2nd half the Cardinals were leading 47-43. The score remained close for the rest of the half and with only two minutes left the Sabres were only down by 1. With the score tied at 60 and 6.9 seconds left the Cardinals made their last shot of the night to give them the lead with .8 seconds left.

Hunter Boelz

The Cardinals won the game 62-60 and handed the Sabres their first loss of the season.

If you wish to learn more about the Tom Bearson foundation you can find out more here.